COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Experiment 1: I am about to show you a picture. When you see it, ask yourself what it is.

Answer—a “lego man” that a group of HS students sent up on a self-built space rocket with a camera attached ( in 2011).

What did you think?

• Most people interpret the Lego man picture in different ways, depending on their own prior knowledge and experience

• These differences in interpretation are what we mean by CONSTRUCTIVISM

4 ideas:CONSTRUCTIVISM

1. Everyone makes interprets what they see and hear in unique ways.2. This means students often learn information in unique ways.3. People learn best when learning is active, engaging, challenging,

meaningful.4. People learn best when new learning can be linked to prior learning.

Experiment 2: Without looking ahead, create a cognitive/mind map of everything you know about making a building energy efficient. You have 2 minutes to do the best you can.

BEFORE YOU LOOK AT AN EXPERT’S MIND MAP, select the best option for your learning: 1. There’s no hope for me; 2. I have only heard the term; 3. I know enough to be dangerous, or 4. I am an expert on the topic of energy efficiency

EXPERIEMENT 2: ENERGY EFFICIENCY

MIND MAP MADE BY AN EXPERT: The farther from “expert status (rating of 4) you are, the less complex your mind map.

IN OTHER WORDS—THE MORE PRIOR LEARNING THE MORE YOU CAN INTERCONNECT KNOWLEDGE

PRIOR LEARNING

UNIQUE TO EVERY PERSONBASED ON PRIOR LIFE AND LEARNING EXPERIENCESINFLUENCES HOW STUDENTS “VIEW” AND LEARN NEW INFORMATIONTEACHERS MUST BUILD ON EACH STUDENT’S PRIOR LEARNING

IMPORTANT RULES:

THE MORE PRIOR LEARNING, THE EASIER IT IS TO LEARN NEW INFORMATIONTHE LESS PRIOR LEARNING, THE HARDER IT IS TO LEARN NEW INFORMATIONLOW PRIOR LEARNING IN AREAS OF VOCABULARY, WORLD EXPERIENCES, ETC CONTRIBUTE TO LESS SCHOOL-READY FUNDS OF PRIOR LEARNING FOR HIGH POVERTY STUDENTSSCHOOLS/TEACHERS HAVE TO HELP MAKE UP WHEN STUDENTS LACK PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

PIAGET & VYGOTSKY

4 BIG IDEAS4 STAGES & THEIR MENTALOPERATIONSSCHEMESASSIMILATION/ACCOMMODATION

INTRO TO PIAGET & VYGOTSKY

Each has 4 important things: Piaget has a 4-stage theory; Vygotsky has 4 important ideas about learning.

A Theory describing the development of thinking and reasoning as children

age. . .

What stage is your student at?• You will do a field activity to learn the stage of your student’s

thinking. . . • IMPORTANT: Just because a student is a certain age, their thinking

may not be the same stage as other students’ thinkin.,

Vygotsky’s Big 4 Ideas

Lev Vygotsky, 1896-1934

1. People learn best if their learning is guided by a “more knowledgeable other.” (They don’t learn as well without guidance.)

2. People learn best if they are given challenging tasks that gradually get harder (as long as they have enough guidance during the task.) ZPD idea.

3. Language is really important --Language guides learning because thoughts are in the form of internal language.

4. Culture is a learning tool because a person’s culture helps teachers know how to make learning content and delivery culturally meaningful.